Charlotte Church says 'this is not a game' as she announces Hay Festival boycott

Charlotte Church has announced that she is boycotting the Hay Festival this weekend because of the "continuing sponsorship" by an asset manager she says has links to what she describes as the "Israeli occupation" of Gaza.

The singer was due to attend the festival on Saturday, May 25 to talk with theatre producer Mary Loudon about her campaigning and her passion for wellness.

Charlotte has been a vocal protester in recent months and has been at the forefront of several pro-Palestine marches to “show solidarity with the people of Palestine for all that they are suffering through”.

READ MORE: Kebab shop horror as takeaway leaves 50 people ill and 11 in hospital

READ MORE: Charlotte Church says ‘it was heartbreaking’ as she shares cousin’s health ordeal

Speaking to the PA news agency at a protest in London in March, she said: “I am here today to call for an immediate ceasefire, to ask our Government and governments all over the world to send as strong message as we possibly can. But a strong, a peaceful a loving message, that’s what every single march that I’ve been on for Palestine has been about."

On Thursday night, she announced: "I’m scheduled in to talk at the Hay Festival with the brilliant Mary Loudon this weekend. However, due to the continuing sponsorship of the festival by asset manager Baillie Gifford, I will be boycotting and not attending."

She also attached a long statement saying : "I will be boycotting and not attending in solidarity with the people of Palestine and in protest of the artwashing and greenwashing that is apparent in this sponsorship."

She added: "This is not a game of checks and balances. Your art festival is not more important than the lives of Palestinian children and the future of healthy ecosystems on earth. We are at a critical stage in the world where we must demand transparency, accountability and consequences for those profiting from destruction of life on earth. If the art world continues to take this dirty money, we all become complicit."

The festival's chief executive has said that as a charity, Hay Festival Global operates a "mixed-funding model that includes sponsorship, grant funding, ticket revenue, memberships, and donations".

Julie Finch added in a lengthy statement: "With this income, we are able to fulfill our mission: to create accessible spaces for creativity and curiosity to thrive, provoking collective conversations to build a better future, drawing on the most creative minds and experts.

"Like so many charities, we are operating amongst huge financial uncertainty. Sponsorship is a complex ethical space to navigate. Where Hay Festival Global is offered funding, we consider this carefully in relation to our charity’s purpose and the Charity Commission guidelines.

"In all of our funding agreements, we maintain editorial independence with a focus on delivering our charitable mission. We believe ideas can change the world and bring together diverse voices to listen, talk, debate, and create, tackling the biggest political, social and environmental challenges of our time."

She added: "Festivals like ours are spaces where curiosity thrives, imaginations roam, and our biggest challenges can be explored with nuance and expertise. We believe more than ever that creating spaces to listen, talk and debate is critical to find solutions to our shared problems.

"This week, Fossil Free Books has issued a statement asking authors to boycott our next edition in protest over one of our sponsors, Baillie Gifford, and their investment portfolio. Their statement has been challenged by Baillie Gifford.

"We have requested additional information from Baillie Gifford and continue to work to safeguard our events as free and respectful platforms for exchanging ideas. We remain committed to reaching the widest possible audiences through our work and presenting one of a kind events in the heart of the Welsh countryside next week."